Justin Ichida, PhD

Dr. Ichida is an Associate Professor in the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Southern California, where he is focusing on using patient-specific disease modeling, next-generation sequencing, and chemical screening to identify disease mechanisms and new treatments for Lou Gehrig’s Disease and sensorineural hearing loss.

Dr. Ichida identified several chemicals that could replace 3 of the 4 special proteins involved in turning body cells into stem cells, a major step towards creating a source of easily available stem cells. He also developed an innovative strategy to convert skin cells directly into motor neurons, allowing the rapid and high-throughput constructions of models for patients with motor neurons diseases, like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He is continuing his work of developing stem cell models of ALS to better understand the disease as an independent investigator at the University of Southern California. He completed his postdoctoral studies at Harvard in Dr. Kevin Eggan’s lab.

• PubMed Profile
• Dr. Ichida's Lab Website

• ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease)

• Finding ALS Treatments That Work For All Patients
• Listen Here: Stem Cells Open the Door For Hearing Loss Treatments
• Community Continues from Afar: Highlights of the NYSCF Innovators Retreat
• A New Method for Untangling DNA is Helping Scientists Change a Cell's Identity
• Biotech Company Founded By Dr. Justin Ichida Receives Fast-Track Grant
• NYSCF Innovator Discovers Mechanism Leading to Toxic Buildup in ALS and Frontotemporal Dementia
• New York Stem Cell Foundation announces $7.5 million to five new NYSCF - Robertson Investigators